It's February in Michigan, which means an abundance of cold. It also means parkas, winter hats, warm sweaters, thermal underwear, and wool socks.
We're months from flip-flops, tank tops, shorts, and swimsuits.

So it might seem odd to talk about modesty in a month like this. It might seem even more odd to talk about modesty with our sons and not just our daughters. After all, when was the last time you saw a guy wearing a bikini, low cut shirt, or yoga pants? Hopefully never. As a dad with two boys, I'd like to talk about modesty. Hopefully without sounding too old or crazy.

Now before we get there, let me just say I am also the father of two daughters. I'm a dad who cares about what my daughters wear, how they see themselves, and what other boys think about. I'm a dad who cares about my daughters protecting the purity of other boys by how they dress and act. That's a different post!

This one is about why we should talk about modesty with our sons, and not just our daughters.

If you've read posts or had conversations about modesty in the past, you know they can get a little wild. Shall we say heated or emotional? They also tend to be a bit one-sided. They are usually written or talked about from the perspective, and problem, of girls. But modesty isn't just a problem for girls; modesty can be a challenge for boys.

Girls are not the only ones who wrestle with identity, image, and worth based on their looks. The externals matter just as much to boys as they do to girls. Boys can be just as guilty of dressing, or acting a certain way, to draw attention to themselves. And girls, often unnecessarily, carry the responsibility for keeping boys pure by being "modest," when we should be telling boys to control themselves (more on that in a minute).